Well this week has been just wonderful! I can't believe a whole
week has passed! Time here literally FLIES! It's crazy to think that this week
I will have been out for 3 months! I feel like time is just slipping though my
fingers and I can't make it go any slower. But that being said, I am loving
every moment here. This week has been a great one. I can honestly say that I
really really love my companion. I learn SO much from her every day and it is
such a blessing to serve with her. We have a lot of differences but we have
been able to turn those differences into our strengths and use our differences
to bless each other and those with whom we serve.
Last Monday after we finished emails we had a zone activity. We
went bowling and it was so fun! I love being with other missionaries and just
having a good time. I bowled 110 my first game which I was pretty proud of! I
beat most of the elders :) After P-Day was over we went to have dinner and a
lesson with a very less active couple in the ward. We are teaching them the
discussions again and helping them to come back to church. They are really
really sweet people and love having us in their home. They are having us for
dinner every Monday so we can teach them. They are really opening up to us and
sharing their struggles and concerns. I am already seeing a change in their
lives and I can see a real desire to have the church and gospel be a part of
their lives again. It's amazing how just reading the Book of Mormon and praying
every day can make people's lives so much better!
Tuesday was transfer day. All of the missionaries in the mission
attended (except for the missionaries in Tasmania), regardless of whether they
were being transferred or not, because it was President Lifferth's last one. We
all got there early and were seated in the chapel. When President and Sister Lifferth
walked in we all stood and sang Called to Serve. The spirit was SO strong as we
sang together. Being with other missionaries is the best. There is such a
spirit and love knowing that we are all working together in a common cause of
doing the Lord's work. The transfer meeting was great. The departing
missionaries bore their testimonies (including the Lifferths). As each one
talked, you could really see and feel how much serving a mission meant to each
of them. I couldn't help but be emotional because I was thinking about how grateful
I am to be serving a mission and to have this opportunity. I feel like the
mission is as much for me as it is for anyone else. I learn and grow SO much
every week. I look at who I was 3 months ago when I entered the MTC and who I
am now and it's incredible how much I've changed. I've learned to LOVE the Book
of Mormon. I always knew that it was true but my testimony of it is even
stronger and now I can say that there is absolutely no doubt in my mind of its
truthfulness and of its power and ability to draw us closer to our Savior. I
have developed a relationship with the Savior that is so much stronger than
when I left. There are hard times on the mission but those hard times I've been
able to turn to my Heavenly Father in prayer and allow the enabling power of
the Atonement to work in my life. Ah, so grateful for all that I am learning
here.
On Wednesday the other two sisters in my flat went to pick up
their new companions. Sister Wirihana is now on the other side of the mission
but Sister Trego came home to the flat Wednesday night with her new companion
and guess who it is? Sister Roberts from the MTC!! She and Sister Guy got their
visas so they are here now! What a blessing to have Sister Roberts in the flat.
I love her so much and she is so sweet and kind and loving!
Thursday morning we got to go to the temple which was a
wonderful experience! The Melbourne Temple is beautiful! I took some questions
with me to the temple and I definitely got answers! As I sat in the celestial
room and saw 11 other missionaries there, I felt so overwhelmed with the
knowledge that Heavenly Father loves his missionaries. It was such a wonderful
day.
 |
| At the beautiful Melbourne Temple |
We taught an investigator this week. The spirit was so strong in the
lesson and I know that he felt it. Unfortunately, there's something that is
holding him back. He feels like he can't get baptized until he gets a specific
answer that he is supposed to and he doesn't feel like he has received that
answer. We are praying really hard for him and still planning on having his
baptism this weekend but right now it's a little up in the air. I am just
having faith that Heavenly Father will allow his heart to be touched and give
him the confirmation that he needs. It's definitely hard to be patient but I am
trusting in Heavenly Father and doing all that I can.
We also taught our family again this week. It was a wonderful
lesson about the Restoration and we were able to commit their son to a
baptismal date! He is going to be baptized on July 27th! The dad wants to
baptize his son so he has to work out his Word of Wisdom issues so that's why
the baptism is a month away but I know that they will both be ready on that
date. I love working with their family and I can't wait to see them get sealed
in the temple. I know that we are going to get them there!
This weekend was a missionary weekend for the neighboring
stake's Priests and Laurels so they spent all weekend with the missionaries. We
had a 16 year old girl with us. She joined the church about 2 months ago and
she is just awesome. She was with us all day Saturday and Sunday and it was a
great opportunity to show her what missionary work is like and to allow her to
share her testimony with others.
To answer some of your questions: It's cold here but it's not
too cold. As long as I wear a cardigan and tights and have my coat with me then
I'm good. I'll be fine with the things that I brought. It's not as cold as
winters at home. The public transportation here is really good but we don't use
it much. We might be using it the end of this week though because we are almost
out of K's.
This morning when the alarm went off I was so tired! I really
didn't want to get out of bed. But I did it anyway. I was thinking about how
much easier it would be to sleep in, how much easier it would be to not go out
in the cold to exercise, how much easier it would be to break a rule here or
there. But then I thought about how much I need Heavenly Father to bless me, I
thought about our investigators and families, I thought about you guys at home.
I thought about how many blessings I need and it makes it so much easier to be
exactly obedient. If we are exactly obedient we are promised to have miracles
happen. And that's why you do it. I know that I need the Lord's help and that I
can't have it if I'm not willing to do what He has asked of me. I'm obedient
not because I am expected to be, not because my companion wants me to, but
because I love the Lord and I want to do as He asks so He will bless me. I know
that is true with all things we are asked to do. We are obedient because we
need blessings and because we love the Lord.
Love you HEAPS!
Sister Baker
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